Hi, Mary-Ann, I am a long time reader but this is my first time contributor to the L. It is through my own negligence that I am not a member of BMDCA, Two local clubs keep me busy, but you're right, no responsible breeder should be without the guidance of the "Mother Club". I do have several highly qualified Berner breeder friends and perhaps that's why I've not gone the extra step. I just placed my last litter of 6 boys. Every one went to homes that were scrutinized & contracted. As I'm sure you're aware, I was often asked, "how can you let these beautiful babies go?" It was not that difficult! I can sleep at night knowing that I have complete confidence in my instinct and the accountability that is expected from my puppy owners. Every one is connected via email and me. It's been such a joy and a kick to listen in on the conversations and to be included. Nobody is embarrassed to ask the newby questions & the good 'ole Berner owners are interested enough to jump in with their experience. The key, I believe, is that these owners not only connect with us, the breeder, but also with the sibling owners. We would not have a fraction of this interest or interaction if it were just an internet address for "new puppy owners". As to seeing each other at various sites, that's a great idea. Some of my puppies have gone out of state but at least we're connected. We do arrange annual birthday parties, and have a photo exchange. I am very excited about your annual report idea. What sort of & how many questions are in your report? How do you compile the information. I love it!! Staying connected is the key to a better Berner, a healthier Berner and a more educated Berner public. Tina Gaines, Ch. Black star Hennessy CGC,NDD, CHOMP Therapy & Swiss Star Willow surla Seine, super Mom(almost there needing 4 pts). -----Original Message----- From: Mary-Ann Bowman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 7:03 AM To: Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List Subject: BMDCA question; staying in touch
I have a question. Why don't people, especially breeders, join the BMDCA? It seems to me that if one is involved in a breed, s/he should belong to the national breed club. Although by no means a measure of quality, I think it is certainly one of those minimum standards that PPO's ought to inquire about when looking for a puppy. And for a PPO, it is a wonderful entry into the world of berners. Staying in touch with puppy owners -- the first step is being very explicit about the expectations before placing a puppy. I spell things out to the potential owners -- what the contact looks like, how often I want to hear from them, what they can expect from me, and my rationale for maintaining contact. I let them know that not everyone wants that kind of relationship with a breeder, and while that is perfectly acceptable it is not how I do things. Any good relationship starts with clearly articulated expectations. After the puppies go home, I maintain e-mail contact with the owners. I do not rely on them to write to me, but will initiate contact by asking about the puppy. I send out group e-mails with news and photos so that all owners from a litter have a sense of what is happening with the other puppies from the litter. I also make it a point to plan show trips to locations where I have puppies placed so that I can see them. In addition to all this, I mail a questionnaire each year and from those returned questionnaires, prepare an annual report that I send to each owner and the owners of the male who sired the litter. I am working on my second annual report now. I try hard to be helpful and supportive to my puppy owners, without being intrusive. Finally, I do not have so many puppies that I cannot track them and care about each one -- and I never will because it is very important to me to maintain those connections. In addition, it is very important to me that I am able to maintain accurate information about what we are producing -- and that is not possible unless one collects data from the owners. I am aware of what it takes for me to breed in a way that supports my sense of purpose and integrity, and producing so many puppies that I cannot track them properly would not be congruent with what I want to accomplish or my personal ethics. Those are just some thoughts on how I maintain contact. Mary-Ann Bowman Utah Emma, Abra, Maize and the ten-pack
